Lately I was in the market for a wood bed frame and wood bookcases. I wanted them to be made of real wood, as in real solid wood not particle board or composite wood or pressed wood or plywood or any kind of wood that is engineered or manufactured with glue.

I wanted real wood furniture for two reasons:

1. My composite wood furniture has not fared so well, especially after several moves. My bookcases have bowed shelves and chipped edges everywhere. I think they look kind of crummy. Real wood is stronger and more durable than engineered wood, and, unlike composite wood, can actually be repaired in many cases.

2. The glue used to manufacture composite wood products almost always contains a significant amount of formaldehyde, which off-gasses and is a known carcinogen also associated with respiratory problems. According to the EPA:

In homes, the most significant sources of formaldehyde are likely to be pressed wood products made using adhesives that contain urea-formaldehyde (UF) resins. Pressed wood products made for indoor use include: particleboard (used as sub-flooring and shelving and in cabinetry and furniture); hardwood plywood paneling (used for decorative wall covering and used in cabinets and furniture); and medium density fiberboard (used for drawer fronts, cabinets, and furniture tops). Medium density fiberboard contains a higher resin-to-wood ratio than any other UF pressed wood product and is generally recognized as being the highest formaldehyde-emitting pressed wood product.

One of the major sources of exposure (to formaldehyde) is from inhalation of formaldehyde emitted from composite wood products containing urea-formaldehyde resins. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reclassified formaldehyde from "probably carcinogenic to humans" to "carcinogenic to humans" in 2004, based on the increased risk of nasopharyngeal cancer. Formaldehyde was also designated as a toxic air contaminant (TAC) in California in 1992 with no safe level of exposure. (emphasis mine)

In fact, a few years ago a report by Environment California Research and Policy Center found that "baby nursery cribs, changing tables, and dressers can emit formaldehyde at levels linked with increased risk of childhood allergies and asthma." I especially do not want furniture that is off-gassing carcinogens in my family's bedrooms, where we spend a significant portion of our lives.

However, the search for real wood furniture, particularly affordable real wood furniture, was surprisingly difficult and frustrating. For starters, it seems that no one actually knows what is or is not real wood anymore. One reason it can be difficult to tell if a piece of furniture is real wood is that composite wood products now often use real hardwood veneers. This means that a very thin slice of real hardwood (often with a visible wood grain) is glued along all the exposed surfaces of the composite wood so that the product appears from the outside to be real wood. Only a very close inspection for the tell-tale seams (where the veneer is glued onto the surface of the composite wood product), or a chip in the product exposing the composite interior (real wood dents but does not chip), give the imposter away.

In attempting to buy a used real wood shelf off of Craig's List, I found that few sellers actually knew whether their shelf was real wood or not. I drove to several places only to point out to the owner that their wood shelf was actually composite wood with a hardwood veneer. So far, I have only replaced one of my composite wood bookshelves. I have given up the search for a while, because it was just too exasperating to drive to a place and find out the shelf wasn't even real wood (despite email and phone call assurances to the contrary).

In attempting to purchase an affordable new bed frame made of real wood, I found that most employees don't know what their stores' products are made of. More than once I would call two stores, both distributors for the exact same wood bed frame, and receive two different answers about the bed frame's composition. Example: store #1: "bed X is solid wood because we would never sell a composite wood product here"; store #2: "bed X is composite wood with hardwood veneers." Often I was told a bed was all real wood, and then when I asked specifically about the slats, the employee conceded that the slats were in fact plywood. And I was only calling local furniture stores that touted themselves as "green" or "natural." This ruined my confidence in knowing what a bed frame was actually made of without first driving to the store and looking at the frame for myself. I did end up with a hardwood bed frame (including hardwood slats), but it was a major hassle that involved Sherlock Holmes-level investigative skills.

Make your own wood products if you can. I wish I had the skills to make a bookshelf from wood purchased at Home Depot. I don't.

Currently, there are few alternatives to formaldehyde-resin composite woods. One alternative is the plywood made by Columbia Forest Products which uses a formaldehyde-free soy-based adhesive called PureBond.

If you already own composite wood products more than a year old, know that they have probably done most of their off-gassing already.

If you buy composite wood products, look for a sticker or label that indicates compliance with new California formaldehyde regulations (for example: CARB or ACTM phase 1 compliant). These regulations, known as the Airborne Toxic Control Measure or ACTM, have not yet gone into full effect, but many large manufacturers are already trying to comply with them. According to the person I spoke with at California's Air Resources Board (CARB, a part of the California EPA), products compliant with Phase 1 of the regulation have significantly lower levels of formaldehyde emissions than earlier composite wood products. Phase 2 compliant products have even lower levels.

If you buy composite wood products, let them off-gas outside for several days or weeks before bringing them indoors, particularly if they are headed for a children's bedroom. Also note that higher temperatures and higher humidity accelerate formaldehyde emissions (the EPA recommends using dehumidifiers and air conditioning to maintain moderate temperatures and humidity levels in order to reduce formaldehyde exposure).

Ventilate rooms thoroughly after bringing new furniture inside. Open windows daily to improve indoor air quality.

14 comments:

Thanks for all the great information. I try to be very careful about purchasing only real wood furniture-for all the reasons you stated. I just bought a pure wood bed frame that is wonderful. It's true-many times retailers don't know if their products are pure wood. They need to find out before I will purchase!

Love this article! It's so true . . . when you read things like "framed in solid hardwood" it means that it's particle board with some hardwood trim.

I have to tell you, I myself never believed that I could build my own furniture with solid wood or PureBond Plywood, and now I have furnished my entire home! It can be done! And thousands of other women are too - check out ana-white.com.

Ana White, I have checked out and drooled over your site! When my husband was unemployed, I told him he was going to make me a play kitchen using one of the tutorials on your site (but then he got a job, so we bought one). Someday, I'll learn to do wood work -- with 2 little ones, it's not in the cards for me right now, but I do love the site. If any of my readers are interested in making your own furniture, I definitely suggest you check it out.

I think in buying furniture, focus on the quality of wood and not just the design. I agree with you that real wood is stronger and more durable than engineered wood, and, unlike composite wood, can actually be repaired in many cases.

Hello, can you please tell us where did you find the hardwood bed frame and slats ?? and also the price.... We live in the San Diego area and we are looking for a queen size bed for our growing child. Regards and thank you for the helpful information.

I think our hardwood bed frame is from The Futon Shop if I remember correctly. They might be in San Diego. THey are also online but shipping might be prohibitively expensive. You can also find a real hardwood bed frame at IKEA and I think they still carry real wood slats too (might be composite). IKEA has nice detailed product information online. Also, due to CA's new formaldehyde standard any composite wood has much lower VOCs than previously, so that's good news.

Thank you Betsy for your tip on Ikea, we will look in to it! An also since you comment...we just bought a piece of furniture, a cabinet for the hallway and also a little box decor at Home Goods, both items have a sticker that you mentioned: "...Dec 2015, California 93120 phase 2 complaint for formaldehyde" ...I was concern when I read your article and made the decision to return the items this weekend..I noticed the funny smell when I open the cabinet or the box...my question to you is this sticker alerts the consumers to let them know that the product has formaldehydes, but in a "secure " percentage for health...but the fact is that it has this toxic adhesive no matter what...is in it ??...

Thank you Betsy for your tip on Ikea, we will look in to it! An also since you comment...we just bought a piece of furniture, a cabinet for the hallway and also a little box decor at Home Goods, both items have a sticker that you mentioned: "...Dec 2015, California 93120 phase 2 complaint for formaldehyde" ...I was concern when I read your article and made the decision to return the items this weekend..I noticed the funny smell when I open the cabinet or the box...my question to you is this sticker alerts the consumers to let them know that the product has formaldehydes, but in a "secure " percentage for health...but the fact is that it has this toxic adhesive no matter what...is in it ??...

Of course a no-VOC adhesive would be ideal, but you have to consider your budget, etc. Phase 2 compliant is far lower than what was allowed 5 or so years ago. But if you can smell it, it's off-gassing. You could always try storing it in the garage for days/ weeks, and then move it inside. You might also try used. Honestly, it's tough to find solid wood furniture these days, especially affordable stuff. For me, the priority was bedrooms b/c we spend so much time breathing in there! Our bedrooms have only solid wood, except some small very old bedside tables which are partly particle board. It also matters how much ventilation your home has. Newer homes have less... or if you live in certain climates it might be difficult to open your windows regularly. Now that phase 2 is fully implemented, I suppose I should consider updating this post! Hope this helps. Good luck!

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